Differences in promotion stress across career stage and orientation

Promotion stress is the experienced feelings of anxiety, concern, or tensio n with one's career reality in, terms of the level one has reached in the o rganization. This study considers how promotion stress may differ depending on an individual's internal career orientation (balance, high, free, ahead , secure) as well as an individual's external, professional career stage (a pprentice, colleague, mentor, sponsor). The results suggest no clear patter n of differences based on internal career orientation,. however, there is a clear pattern with regard to external career stage such that as art indivi dual progresses in his/her professional career, promotion stress decreases. Implications for research and practice are discussed. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.